Following the Blind
by scullymulder
Summary: Peter and Claire offer each other a revelation, with a little nudging from Niki.


Title: Following the Blind

Author: scullymulder123

Summary: Peter and Claire offer each other a revelation, with a little nudging from Niki.

Distribution: PaireLove and for right now. Want it posted elsewhere? Ask.

Disclaimer: Oh, if it were mine…sigh

A/N: So. Not quite the tone (or anything, for that matter) what I wanted. But oh well. I have more fandoms to write for, and no time to do it in. I gave it a shot. Hope you enjoy.

--

Claire rolled over, buried her head into Peter's chest and tugged the sheets tighter around her and her husband. That night (or was it last night?) had marked their one-month anniversary of marriage. Or rather, as Claire liked to call it, their 're-marriage'.

Six and a half years prior, when Claire, learning what her father really was, had ran to New York, Peter had taken her in. And out of fear that he would come and take her away, the very first thing they did together was to sign a marriage license, written consent completely forged. And, to the surprise of both parties involved, Vegas didn't have the only one-stop wedding chapels.

But when the time came, and the danger had passed, it didn't cross either of the couple's minds to get an annulment. Granted, there was only platonic love between them (or so Claire assumed), but when everything had been said and done, Peter and Claire had lived together for six years. Habit, they proved, was certainly a hard thing to break.

And then, suddenly, five months prior to their 're-marriage', Claire received a wake-up call.

--

"But Mom! C'mon!"

"No, Micah, and that's final! It's your birthday, and everyone is here. If you leave now, I know exactly what you'll do and who you'll be doing it with! I know I can't stop it _all_ the time, but at least I can control it when the opportunity presents itself," Niki said, her frustration clearly showing. "Now, you're going to go out there, graciously accept gifts from your 'uncles', and then you're going to eat some cake, and you're _going to like it_. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Micah grumbled. "What about after that?"

Niki sighed. "We'll see."

Claire Petrelli blinked in surprise as Micah stormed past her on her way into the kitchen.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked Niki, the older blonde's exasperation clearly showing.

"He wants to go give his girlfriend a hickey and I won't let him."

"Oh," Claire said thoughtfully. She hesitated briefly before continuing, "You know, I don't ever think I've had a hickey."

Niki eyed the girl carefully. "You're married. What the hell do you mean you've never had a hickey?"

Claire hesitated again, taking a deep breath. "Well…it's not like guys at my school were ripe for the picking. And the first guy that happened to like me at the same time I liked him…he didn't really like me. He just wanted to score, ya know? And when I told him to quit, he killed me. Or at least, thought he did. Then I had to save the world. Next thing I know, I was married to Peter."

"And Peter's never given you a hickey? What type of noble ass is he?"

"He's noble, but I don't think he's an ass. 'Sides, ya know….we've not really even had sex before."

Silence.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Niki blinked. "You're twenty-two. Are you telling me you're still a virgin? You're still a _virgin_ and you're _married_?"

Finding her shoes incredibly interesting, Claire managed to duck her head, just barely avoiding the repercussions of Niki seeing her with a blush redder than a fire truck.

For a half a minute, the only sound was of Niki sitting down heavily at her kitchen table. "Well," she said finally, "Peter's gay."

Claire's head shot up, blush finally fading. "What? No, he's not gay."

"Then he's cheating on you. No man, Claire, _none_, can go six years without sex. It's impossible. Most can barely go a day."

"He's not cheatin' on me. He just doesn't love me, is all."

"_All?_ Good God, Claire, you and Peter are the image of perfection. Are you telling me that it's all an act?"

Sighing, Claire sat down across the table from Niki and started to explain. "When I came to New York we were scared that my dad would come and take me away. So we got married. It's never really come up, now that I'm legal, to even consider divorce. Or annulment. Whatever."

"Do you love him?"

Claire met Niki's eyes squarely. "Who am I to know what love is? I mean, I've had boyfriends before, but…there was never a degree of severity to the relationship, ya know? And they never lasted long. But somehow, I've managed to live companionably with Peter for six years whereas I would have killed any of the others. Is that love? Maybe. I know I love him…he's my best friend. And I guess I've devoted my life to him already, huh?"

"Tell you what," Niki started. "I'll send you and Peter home now. If you do one thing – when you get home, ask him if he loves you."

"What? No, I can't. What if he says no?"

"He won't. If he's really held out for six years, he does love you. And if not, there's no reason you should be with him. Now, go home. Call me and tell me what happens."

They stood, and Claire wrapped her arms around Niki. "Thanks."

" 'Course. Now get."

--

The ride home was silent, as if Peter sensed something was going on with his wife, but didn't mention it until they were behind the locked doors of their apartment.

"Something wrong, Claire?" he asked, pulling the double-chocolate ice cream out of the freezer, handing it to the petite blonde.

"Uhm…yeah, well, not really. Just stuff on my mind," she mumbled, stabbing a spoon into the carton before taking a bite.

"Like…anything I can help with?"

Claire just shrugged.

"C'mon, Claire. What's up?"

"Do you love me?" she blurted, mentally cringing as she became aware of how desperate she sounded.

Peter's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Of course I do," he replied, confusion apparent. "I married you, didn't I?"

"But…I thought that was a ploy. Just so daddy couldn't take me away from all this."

Chucking, he returned, "There were other ways of you not being taken. If I was driven enough, I could have found a way. As it is, you were turning into one of my best friends. I had no qualms about being legally tied to you."

"No, Peter," Claire said, stamping her foot in growing frustrated. "I mean, do you _love_ love me. Not 'Oh, yeah, she's my best friend…kind of like a sister' type love, but…the 'we're married – that's a 'go at it like bunnies' pass.'"

Peter hesitated for a moment, then laughed.

"_What?_" Claire screeched. "What did I do? I mean, really. We've been living in the same apartment, and sleeping in the same bed _without doing a thing_ for six years. That's not normal, Peter."

"No, you're right, it's not normal," he said, taking a step in Claire's direction. "Look, Claire, at first, it was illegal for us to happen. I mean, look at you. I just wanted to slam you into that stupid trophy case and mark you as mine the moment I saw you. But you were seventeen. I couldn't. And then, we got married…and I didn't want to do anything that would scare you away. I mean, that thing with the quarterback…I didn't want to hurt you. So I didn't say anything. Next thing I know, it's been a year and lust is taking the backseat to love. I _do_ love you, Claire. You just never showed the slightest interest in me."

"It's not that I'm not attracted to you, Peter. I am. I just don't know how to _be_ attracted to you. The last time I tried that, I almost got raped," Claire explained. "Not that, you know, I think you'd do that to me. I'm just a little gun-shy…and I don't really think I even know what love is."

"And I wouldn't expect you to, what with all the wonderful examples you've had set for you," Peter said dryly, running his hands down Claire's arms.

"What's it feel like?" she asked, shivering at Peter's touch. If _this_ intoxicated her, she had no idea what she'd do if when they had sex made love.

"Loving you was similar waking up, actually. A new start at life – to be a better person. There weren't any flashing lights or banners – it was more like it crept up on me, which was such a difference compared to my past girlfriends. And then I felt myself falling in love with you because of your quirks; not in spite of them. When I felt I was going to go absolutely insane, you stayed by me. You were 'my eye of the storm', so to speak. And when I thought the world was going to end, you were there, guiding me, and watching over me. You saved me more times than I can count."

Claire stared up at him, adoration apparent in her eyes.

"That's what you are to me, I guess -- all of those things. Which maybe transcends love. I dunno," Peter said, his hands now running themselves through his wife's hair. "What about you?"

Claire's eyes fluttered closed as his hands continued his ministrations. She really didn't know how to handle him right now. "You're all of those things to me, Peter. If that's really what love is, then I've been in love with you since I found you after you had died, that night at Homecoming."

Her eyes were still closed when Peter's lips were pressed against her own. It took a moment for her brain to process what was happening, but then she kissed him back.

When he pulled away from her, her eyes opened in protest, but shortly closed thereafter when she realized her had moved on to her neck.

"Peter?" she asked lazily, faintly recalling what Niki had told her about Micah that evening.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"I've never had a hickey before."

"Well," he mumbled, his breath tickling her throat, "I think I could manage that."

The ice cream lay melting on the counter, completely forgotten.

--

It had hurt the first time, just like her Sex Ed teacher told her it would back in the ninth grade.

But after that…well, Claire Petrelli found that she loved her husband _much_ more than she had thought.

Was this how newlyweds felt? She supposed so.

"Peter?" she asked drowsily. "Did you know you tasted like French vanilla?"

Her husband propped his head on his right hand, running his left down his wife's side. "No, I didn't. I've always been told I tasted like chocolate, actually. Which I thought was a good thing."

Claire growled possessively. "Did Simone tell you that? And why would it be a good thing?"

"Yes," Peter said dismissively. "Simone did tell me that. And it would be a good thing, I think, considering that chocolate is an aphrodisiac for women."

"Well," Claire haughtily retorted, her Texan accent that had been smothered by years in New York poking through, "Simone was wrong. Besides, you're not married to her. You're married to _me_. And _I_ say that French vanilla is an aphrodisiac."

Peter barely mumbled, "Yes ma'am," before Claire kissed him hard, shoving him back onto the bed.

That morning, she giggled as she saw the now apparent mark on her neck in the mirror. Peter crept up behind her, wrapping his hands around her waist and whispered in her ear. "You're mine, Claire. Now and forever. I love you – don't forget that, okay?"

She twisted in his arms, resting her head on his chest. "I love you too, Peter." She paused before speaking again. "Do you think we'll live forever? 'Cause we can heal and all that. We can't get sick enough to die."

Peter propped his head on hers endearingly, thinking. "I dunno, babe. Maybe. That'd be okay with me, though. Having you forever."

"Yeah. It would be okay, wouldn't it? I love you so much, Peter. I can't imagine a world without you in it."

When she raised her head to meet his eyes, he gently kissed her forehead. "Me either. If you died, so would I."

The next time she went to Niki's, she deliberately wore a low collared shirt.

**End**


End file.
